Lifter for harvesters



Dec. 24, 1935. F RUMB A 2,025,497

LIFTER FOR HARVESTERS Filed March 19, 1954 Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT QFFEQE LIFTER FOR HARVESTERS Application March 19, 1934,Serial No. 716,302

6 Claims.

The invention relates to a vine lifter for the guard fingers of mowersand other harvesters.

The main object is to provide such a device which will constantly bemovable within limits to keep in touch with the ground notwithstandingirregularities in the contour thereof, so that the lifter willefficiently function to pick up lodged or fallen vines and grain or thelike, to present such crop material properly to the cutting mechanismofthe harvester and then guide the severed material over the cuttingmechanism to the gathering mechanism.

Another object is to provide a lifter that will present smooth sides,and an evenly sloped upper edge, said sides and. edge being unencumberedby any protuberances that would interfere with lifting and guiding thevines, etc. in a gentle manner.

Another object is to provide such a lifter that will have a body formedof sheet metal welded to a forged or cast point portion, therebyresulting in a strong, light lifter that can be cheaply produced. I

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art as thedisclosure is more fully made.

Briefly, these desirable objects may be attained in the provision of aninverted U-shaped sheet metal body portion whose lower edges fit overthe sides of a channel bar bottom portion and are welded thereto. Theforward portion of the body embraces the sides of a forged or cast pointand is welded thereto. The welding permits formation of smooth sides.The upper edge of the U- shaped body portion is gracefully curvedupwardly and rearwardly in a manner best to perform its liftingfunction. This built-up, welded lifter unit is then pivotally mounted onthe front end of a stub point type of guard finger, there being stops tolimit the pivotal movement of the lift in opposite directions.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the improved lifter as itappears pivotally connected to a guard finger;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the mainbody portion is developed;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the point detached from thecomplete lifter;

Figure 4 is a detached, side elevational view of the runner or lowerpart of the lifter;

Figure 5 is'a fragmentary plan View of the assembly, with a portionthereof in horizontal section, as seen along the section line 55appearing in Figure 1, looking downwardly, as indicated by the arrows;and,

Figure 6 is a vertical cross sectional view through the sheet metal bodynear its rear end to show its U-formation. '5

A cutter bar structure as employed in harvesters is shown at Iii, thesame having bolted thereto the usual series of spaced guard fingers, oneof which is shown at it. The guard finger shown is of the stub pointtype having a transl0 verse hole through its front end to receive a pinl2 for pivotally mounting the improved lifter now to be described.

The body Q3 of the lifter comprises a sheet metal blank, as shown inFigure 2, provided with oppositely arranged ears M at its widestportion, said ears having holes i5 therein. From the ears the blank isgradually tapered toward the front to form the main lifter 'part, whilerearwardly of the ears the blank is tapered more sharply to form a tailportion i 6. In back of the ears, the tail portion is formed with twoholes I1.

In forming the body, the blank i3 is bent back upon itself to a U-shape,as shown in Figure 6. The narrow forward end of the body fits over thesides of the narrow rear part of a forged point I8 and is securedthereto by welding, the front edge of the sheet metal body beingmolecularly joined with the point at a groove I9 formed in the point forthat purpose. After the point I8 has thus been secured to the sheetmetal body, all protuberances are ground flush to form continuous,smooth, top and side surfaces between the point and body. The bottom ofthe body I3 is closed by the insertion of a channel strip 2E3 fitted inplace as shown with the sides of the sheet metal body securely welded tothe channel insert 20 at the points marked X. The rear end of thechannel strip 20 is curved upwardly, as shown, to a point closelyadjacent the upper edge of the body. See Figure 1.

The front end of the stub guard finger H includes an upstanding boss 2i, which is narrower, as shown in Figure 5, than the width of theupstanding part of the channel strip 26. A pin 22 is passed through theholes H, as shown.

In using the improved lifter in Vine or other crops, the pin i2 is usedto pivotally mount the lifter on the stub point of the guard finger l l,in such a manner that the upstanding boss locates between the upper stoppin 22 and the upturned end of the channel strip 29. The lifter in use,then can pivot up or down within limits, in accordance with groundirregularities. It is clear that the movement down is limited when thepin 22 strikes the rear side of the stationary boss 2|; while the upmovement is limited when the.

upstanding bent end of the strip 20 has its bight portion contact thefront side of the stationary boss 2|. The lifter along its top edge isgracefully curved from the point I8 to the end of the tail l6, saidcurve being upward and rearward in a manner best to lift tangled vinesand the like and lift them gently, so that they can be properly cut, andthereafter to guide them back over the sickle to the gathering part ofthe harvester. Further, the sides of the body also are smooth andstraight without any protuberances that would interfere with a smoothlifting action.

From this disclosure it Will now be appreciated that an improved lightweight lifter has been provided which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and efficient in operation.

It is the intention to cover all changes not departing from the spiritand scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lifter adapted to be pivotally mounted on a guard finger of acutter bar, said lifter embodying a point, a body of sheet metal formedas an inverted U in cross section and presenting an open bottom edge,said body at its front end being attached to the point and increasing indepth from the point to its rear end and presenting an upwardly andrearwardly curved upper edge terminating in a tail portion at its rearend, and a strip closing the open bottom edge of the sheet metal body.

2. A lifter adapted to be pivotally mouted on a guard finger of a cutterbar, said lifter embodying a point, a body of sheet metal formed as aninverted U in cross section and presenting an open bottom edge, saidbody at its front end being welded to the point and increasing in depthfrom the point to its rear end and presenting a smooth uninterruptedupwardly and rearwardly curved upper edge terminating in a tail portionat its rear end, and a strip closing the open bottom edge of the sheetmetal body, the sides of the body having their lower edges welded to thestrip.

3. A lifter for a stub guard having an upwardly extending boss at itsfront end, said lifter adapted to be pivotally connected to the guardadjacent the lower end of the boss, said lifter having a point, a sheetmetal body portion secured to the point and forming a smoothcontinuation thereof in an upwardly and rearwardly curved line, the bodyhaving its greatest depth adjacent the boss, a stop in the body locatedrearward of the boss, and a strip along the bottom of the body having anupturned rear end located in front of the boss to serve as another stop.

4. A lifter for a stub guard having an upwardly extending boss at itsfront end, said lifter adapted to be pivotally connected to the guardadjacent the lower end of the boss, said lifter having a point, a sheetmetal body portion secured to the point, said body being shaped as aninverted U in cross section and presenting an open bottom edge, a stripclosing the bottom open edge of the body, and means to limit the up anddown pivotal movement of the lifter on the guard.

5. A lifter adapted to be pivotally mounted on a guard, said liftercomprising a solid point, a hollow body open at its bottom, and a stripclosing the bottom, said parts being connected together by welding.

6. A lifter adapted to be pivotally mounted on a guard, said liftercomprising a solid point, a hollow inverted U-shaped body connectedthereto and presenting an open bottom, and a strip attached to the bodyand closing the bottom thereof.

CHARLES F. CRUMB. SAMUEL E. HILBLOM.

